Conducted under the guidance of

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja

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Dear Devotees and dear Friends,

Sri Srimad Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami Maharaja is personally inviting all of us to attend Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama in the holy land of Sri Vrindavana-dhama.

This year, the festival will be inaugurated on October 22th, with the devotees observing sankalpa, or a vow to ensure the success of our parikrama, at Kesi-ghata, Vrindavana. The last day of the festival will be November 21st.

Parikrama

On October 23rd we will begin our Sri Vraja-mandala Parikrama, a pilgrimage to all the incomparably beautiful places in Vraja. As we wind our way through these transcendental places, by foot, and sometimes by bus, we will chant surcharged and compelling kirtanas that we will cherish forever, reverentially touch our head to the dust of the numerous places related to Sri Sri Radha Krsna's pastimes, and hear such hari-katha that will change our lives and strengthen our commitment to the path of pure bhakti. Our pilgrimage will be completed on November 21st.

Parikrama Festivals

On certain days throughout Kartika month, we will celebrate the divine appearance and disappearance days of our acarya's. On Sunday November 7th we will celebrate Govardhana puja – (worship of Govardhana Hill) and go-puja – (worship of our mother cow) – in a very delightful and festive way. In the evening we will observe the Dipavali festival, or festival of lights, at Manasi Ganga. On such occasions there will be kirtana and hari-katha, given in both Hindi and English, and delicious maha-prasadam will be served.

Parikrama Locations

From October 21st till the morning of November 4th, all hari-katha, kirtanas and maha-prasadam will be held in Gopinatha Bhavan, Vrindavana, which is located on the parikrama marga (path) on the bank of Yamuna, next to Imli-tala, Seva Kunja. From November 4th till November 21st we will stay at Govardhana, at Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, which is near the bus stand on the road to Radha-kunda.

Cost

A minimum contribution per person of Indian Rs. 7,500, US $170, or Euro 125 is requested in order to cover the most basic expenses of the festival. This payment covers prasadam, simple accommodation in the dharmasala and travel on the buses; as well as electricity and water; the sound system; a generator; the payment of various workers; cleaning costs and so forth.

We humbly request you to remember that this fee is a wonderful opportunity to facilitate the inconceivable benefit of hearing the harikatha of a spotlessly pure Vaisnava and performing parikrama under his guidance. In fact, we would not be able to repay this in countless lifetimes.

Included within the festival fees:

We have arranged dharmasalas (simple lodgings for pilgrims) near Gopinatha Bhavan and Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha where there is facility to set up your sleeping mat and mosquito net in a room with other devotees. At the Matha at Govardhana there is also facility for tents.

For an extra cost:

Rooms are available for rent in other dharmasalas and in the houses of the local residents. The average charge is between 200 and 300 rupees per room per day, depending on the facility offered. For more details regarding rooms in Vrindavana, you can contact Mani-mati dasi.

There are hotel rooms at varying distances from the Matha in both Vrindavana and Govardhana that you can rent directly from their hotel managers. We will have listed some hotels and their prices at this link.

Registration

To register for this festival, upon arrival in Vrindavana or Govardhan, submit a completed participation form and give your contribution (in rupees, dollars, or euros) to Tilaka-raja prabhu at the registration table in the courtyard of Gopinatha Bhavan and in Govardhana, at Sri Giridhari Gaudiya Matha, he will be at the registration table in front of the temple building. There you will find Mani-mati dasi, Vrinda-devi dasi and other devotees responsible for accommodating you inside or outside the temple complex.

The facilities we are arranging for you during parikrama will be available from October 21st onwards. If you arrive in Vrindavana-dhama before this date, you will need to make your own arrangements for accommodation and prasadam. We trust that all of you will cooperate with the festival seva team in this regard.

Please inform us by e-mail about the details of your participation, especially if you are coming in a group. In this way we can arrange suitable accommodation.

Taxi

To arrange a taxi to pick you up from the airport or to take you to and from other places, you can you can contact Mani-mati dasi at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or refer to our page on taxi information.

"I meditate on wonderful Vrndavana, where there are millions of lakes, ponds, and wells, all filled with water as sweet as transcendental nectar, where there are many gardens filled with blossoming transcendental flowers and fruits and unlimited wonderful trees and vines, where there are numberless transcendental deer and other animals who move here and there, and where there are many beautiful transcendental groves.

Whose heart would not be enchanted by Vrindavana where Sri Radhika-Madanamohana enjoy many pastimes, where there are many trees and flowering vines, where the ground is paved with jewels, and where the birds, deer and other animals are all maddened with transcendental bliss?"(Srila Prabhodhananda Sarasvati's Sri Vrindavana-mahimamrita, Sataka 1, Text 18 + 19

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